Skin terminal

Ingredient glossary

294 ingredients by the names on the label, grouped by the job each does in a formula. Every entry says what the thing is and where the public record on it is (Wikidata, PubMed); none says what it will do for your skin, because that depends on the product and on you. The label lists ingredients in descending order by weight, so the first five are most of what you are buying.

All Active Humectant Emollient Occlusive Cleansing agent Emulsifier Preservative Antioxidant Exfoliant UV filter Fragrance Colorant Texture and thickener Solvent Conditioning agent Skin protectant pH adjuster Chelating agent

Preservatives stop bacteria and mould growing in a product that contains water; every water-based product needs one.

B

Benzyl alcoholPreservativeAn aromatic alcohol used as a preservative and solvent; also one of the 26 fragrance allergens the EU requires to be named on a label.

C

Caprylyl glycolPreservativeA glycol with mild antimicrobial action that boosts preservatives and acts as a humectant.ChlorphenesinPreservativeA preservative against fungi and bacteria, limited to 0.3 percent in the EU.Colloidal silverPreservativeSilver particles in water, marketed as antimicrobial. The FDA has acted against colloidal silver sold with health claims.

D

Dehydroacetic acidPreservativeA preservative often paired with benzyl alcohol in formulas sold as paraben-free.DMDM hydantoinPreservativeA preservative that works by slowly releasing formaldehyde; allowed at low levels, but a known contact allergen for people sensitised to…

E

EthylhexylglycerinPreservativeA glycerin derivative that boosts preservatives and conditions skin; the usual partner of phenoxyethanol.

G

Glyceryl caprylatePreservativeA glycerin ester of caprylic acid with antimicrobial action, used as a 'preservative-free' preservative booster.

M

Methylisothiazolinone (MI)PreservativeA preservative that caused a wave of contact allergy in the 2010s; the EU now bans it in leave-on products and limits it in rinse-off ones.MethylparabenPreservativeThe smallest paraben, used since the 1920s; well studied and allowed in the EU and US. The 'paraben-free' trend followed studies on larger…

P

PhenoxyethanolPreservativeThe most used cosmetic preservative since parabens fell out of favour; limited to 1 percent in the EU. Often paired with ethylhexylglycerin.Potassium sorbatePreservativeA mild preservative against mould and yeast, used with sodium benzoate; needs a low pH to work.PropylparabenPreservativeA paraben; the EU limits it to 0.14 percent and bans it from leave-on products for the nappy area of children under three.

R

Radish root fermentLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate · PreservativeA ferment sold as a natural preservative; weak on its own, usually one of several.

S

Sodium anisatePreservativeA salt of anisic acid from fennel, used as a mild antifungal preservative.Sodium benzoatePreservativeA food and cosmetic preservative that works best in acidic products; often paired with potassium sorbate in 'natural' formulas.Sodium levulinatePreservativeA corn-derived salt used with sodium anisate as a mild preservative system in natural formulas.

T

TriclosanPreservativeAn antibacterial agent the FDA removed from consumer hand soaps in 2016; still found in some toothpastes and older products.

How to read a label

US labels use INCI names (Latin for plant parts, chemical names for the rest) in descending order by weight down to 1 percent; below that, in any order. "Fragrance" or "parfum" can stand for dozens of undisclosed compounds. A plus sign or asterisk usually marks an organic ingredient; a jar symbol with a number of months is the period after opening. Colorants are listed last by their CI number.

Where the words come from

The function groups are the ones the EU's CosIng database and the Personal Care Products Council use. The one-line descriptions are ours, written from the public record; a Wikidata description and the three most recent PubMed papers that mention the ingredient with skin are fetched for each entry. Products that regulators treat as drugs in the US (sunscreens, acne treatments, antiperspirants, dandruff shampoos) are marked as such. FDA and CPSC recalls →